MENDHAR, Sep 30(Agencies): As many as seven encounters occurred between militants and the armed forces in Jammu and Kashmir between September 13 and 24.

A senior Army officer posted in one of the forward areas said: “Militancy might have been reduced here but certainly not the militants.” The armed forces are not only worried about the militants supposedly hiding in the hinterlands, but regularly face several of them trying to cross the line of control (LoC) separating India and Pakistan-Administered Kashmir (PAK).

According to recent figures released by the Directors General of Military Intelligence, about 100 militants have crossed over into the Valley this year.

A captain in-charge of a forward post said: “They just keep coming. We have so many deterrents in place but every year we have to be part of tens of operations just to keep these guys off.”

The fence along the about 700 km long LoC, has succeeded in controlling infiltration to a great extent, officers said.

Of the 100 militants who managed to cross over, 24 are reportedly from the Uri sector, where two militants were killed in as many encounters with the armed forces between September 18 and 24.

“They were going towards the LoC to guide a group of militants into India when our team killed them. We have more information and operations are on,” Lt Col Brar, the armed forces’ official spokesperson, Kashmir, told Agencies .

A captain in-charge of a forward post in the Rajouri sector, Jammu, said: “They are employing new methods to get their men across the fence and there have been incidents where we have been left wanting.”

The infiltrators are using a special glove that protects the men crossing over the fence from electrocution. “The fence has other defence mechanisms too. It sounds a siren as soon as the thermal sensors find something. But given that it is impossible to man the fence completely, the militants using such gloves cut through the fence and cross over at some places,” he said.

In another incident, militants, before crossing over, sprayed a spray that left the personnel manning the forward posts unconscious.

SRINAGAR, Sep 30: The nine-day autumn session of Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly is beginning tomorrow.
The Assembly Secretariat has received more than 500 questions from some legislators apart from some important resolutions.
During the assembly session, the opposition parties have made up their mind to corner Omar Abdullah led government over number of issues including the growing demand of Sarpanches and Panches to empower them.
The Assembly Secretariat officials told the Kashmir T